access home network when not at home

[carputer93]

I have two computers I put on a home network how do I access that network if I'm not at home. I tried using the remote acess but it doesn't work any suggestions to what I'm doing wrong
. both computers are on windows 7 pro and ultimate

 

[soho1]

I'm not all that network savvy, but if I were setting this up, I would test by using one of the computers tethered to my mobile phone and the other on your regular ISP network. Check your PC and router firewalls of course for inbound and outbound rules on both LAN and WAN. Actually, you probably know all this better than me.

 

[carputer93]

that might actually work mmm

 

[Sven1458]

when ever I have to access my computer from the road, I use TeamViewer.
you can set it to start with windows and you can set up your permanent password and your in. you can run programs or transfer files.

Just google it and it will lead you to the download page
Sven

 

[carputer93]

I have teamviewer on both computers I was just thinking other options

 

[UsernameIssues]

You can use Hamachi for a VPN and UltraVNC for a RAT.

I use those when I cannot use TeamViewer.

 

[carputer93]

Well on teamviewer I can connect my tablet and cell to my computer I never done computer to computer

 

[maxseven]

I tried using the remote acess but it doesn't work

You mean Remote Desktop Connection? I have never used it other than on my LAN so am not sure how to set it up for outside access, but it almost certainly will be blocked by your router.

I've used VNC (I use TightVNC) and you have to typically do two things, first make sure the computers work on your LAN (meaning your Firewall knows about them and doesn't block them from talking to each other) and then from Outside your LAN you need to tell your router "redirect incoming traffic for Port 5900 to PCXYZ".

So from the outside, you put into TightVNC Client your home IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5900 and your router redirects to the local PC running TightVNC Server. Of course, you need TightVNC Server on your Home LAN to have a strong password you enter at TightVNC Client.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I tried using the remote acess but it doesn't work

You mean Remote Desktop Connection? I have never used it other than on my LAN so am not sure how to set it up for outside access, but it almost certainly will be blocked by your router.

I've used VNC (I use TightVNC) and you have to typically do two things, first make sure the computers work on your LAN (meaning your Firewall knows about them and doesn't block them from talking to each other) and then from Outside your LAN you need to tell your router "redirect incoming traffic for Port 5900 to PCXYZ".

So from the outside, you put into TightVNC Client your home IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:5900 and your router redirects to the local PC running TightVNC Server. Of course, you need TightVNC Server on your Home LAN to have a strong password you enter at TightVNC Client.

And if you do that, you might see hundreds* of entries in the Windows Event log (Applications) telling you that an incorrect password was used to try and connect to the VNC client. You will probably see more than a hundred of these failed authentication attempts each second. There are scanners that do nothing but scan for VNC connections 24/7. I've not tested with TightVNC, but the original VNC and UltraVNC both accept connection attempts as fast as they can come in. That makes it possible to guess the password via brute force. [TeamViewer waits a while after each failed authentication attempt. Each failed attempt exponentially lengthens the wait time before TV will accept another authentication attempt.]


*I have seen this first hand on more than one computer. The IP addresses that were attempting the connections were sprinkled all over the world.

It is better/safer to isolate VNC clients from the Internet by using a VPN tool.

 

[maxseven]

I have never been attacked as you have UsernameIssues but agree that port 5900 is well-known and therefore susceptible to attack.

My post attempts to help the OP understand and get outside access working. Once accomplished it would be well for him to modify the port(s) used so scanners are mostly foiled.

It seems too that at least TightVNC Server has Access Control built-in, whereby the OP might limit the IPs that his home PC responds to, which might be viable if his remote location is constant e.g. his office.

 

[UsernameIssues]

VNC users can also tell the Windows firewall to only respond to a specific range of IP addresses.

I do that even if a VPN is used